make an appointment. it's going to wrap things up for sgmd, but stay connected at cnn.com/sanjay and keep the conversation going on twitter@sanjay gupta cnn. now for a check of your top stories making news right now. polls say the score is 1-1, so will monday night's debate be the tiebreaker? we'll see what will be in the final debate. >> he cheated and cheated, you know, beyond many people's beliefs or imaginations. >> a cat frofk week for a fallen hero. now lance armstrong is expected to speak out at today's livestrong event. we'll take you there live. and cult no more. that was the decision this week from reverend billy graham about mormonism. change of heart, or political stunt?

>> i'm randi kaye. it's 7:00 in austin, texas. thanks for starting your morning with us. we begin with breaking news. george mcgovern, the three-team democratic senator who sought his nomination twice died. he entered hospice care earlier this week. state of the union's candy crowley talks more about this. good morning. a big loss for the political world no doubt. what are your memories of george mcgovern? >> he was a democratic candidate in 1972, ran against richard nixon, against the war.

as you would call it at that time, the vietnam war drove all the politics, and george mcgovern, although he was an army fighter pilot during world war ii and won the distinguished cross, was an unabashed dove. he wanted the war ended right away, and he ran on that platform, and he got smoked by richard nixon. i was amazed looking back at the numbers in that 1972 race. 60.7% went to richard nixon. 37.5% went to george mcgovern, so it was -- that was quite a race, and quite a landslide for richard nixon, and the rest is history, as we say. george mcgovern was an unabashed liberal voice m u.s. senate. he was a gentleman -- i know that sounds a little strange in the harshness of politics, but

personally i always found him to be quiet. what you would think of as south dakota. he was born and raised in south dakota. he was certainly in some ways out of step with that state's presidential politics at the very least. he didn't even win the state in his own presidential race. but he was unabashed liberal, loved his home state, and was just kind of a quiet, gentle guy, but fiercely liberal in his politics. >> candy crowley, thank you. we'll be checking in with you again with much more on this later on this morning. his family issued a statement saying that he passed away at 5:15 this morning. they said we are blessed to know that our father lived a long, successful, and productive life advocating for the hungry, being a progressive voice for millions and fighting for peace. he continued giving speeches, writing, and advising all the way up to and past his 90th birthday, which he celebrated this summer." he passed away surrounded by

family and life-long friends. our martin savage has this look back now at george mcgovern's life and legacy. >> reporter: george mcgovern lived a fascinating life. america's leading liberal came from republican parents. an outspoken critic of war who was a world war ii hero. he earned the ph.d. in history, then went on to make history. mcgovern first went to washington in 1957 representing south dakota in the house, then later in the senate where he served 18 years. he was among the first to challenge america's involvement in vietnam. >> i resent the president running this war on his election timetable. i don't think you ought to be playing a numbers game with human lives, and that's what this administration has done. >> reporter: his opposition to the war would become a trait. lesser known, his work helping the republican mom nation process.

significantly scaling back the role of party officials and insiders and increasing the role of caucuses, primaries, and delegates. it's the system used by both parties today. it was mcgovern's own run for president in 1972 most people remember. it didn't go well. already a long shot against president nixon, it didn't help when his acceptance speech to the democratic convention was delayed until 2:30 in the morning, long after the huge television audience had gone to bed. then mcgovern was forced to dump his running mate, thomas eagleton, after it was learned he had a history of psychiatric problems. nixon won by a landslide. despite the defeat, his campaign attracted the political young turks of the day boosting the careers of gary hart and a then unknown bill clinton. mcgovern would try again in 1948 only to drop out after poor primary showings, but his words still resonated. >> the question is not are we better off than we were four

years ago. the question is where will america be four years from now? what is the american future? what kind of america do we want to be? >> later in life the man from the south dakota prairie refocused on a cause he worked on in the kennedy administration. using america's agricultural strength to feed families at home and then eventually around the world. it would be the legacy he prided most. one expert summed it up best, saying the same trait that cost mcgovern the white house would become the same quality that he later admired. george mcgovern's ability to say what others would not. martin savage, cnn. other news this morning, the white house says it would welcome talks with iran to keep

that country from becoming a threatening nuclear armed power, but the obama administration insists that a "new york times" report that it has agreed to one-on-one negotiations with iran is not true. a national council spokesman said "the president has made clear that he will prevent iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and we will do what we must to achieve that. it has always been our goal for sanctions to pressure iran to come in line with its obligations. the onus is on the iranians to do so. otherwise, they will continue to face crippling sanctions and increased pressure." the "new york times" reports that the agreement to talk one-on-one was the result of secret negotiations between iran and the u.s., and it reports, "there is still a chance the initiative could fall through, even if mr. obama is re-elected. iran has a history of using the promise of diplomacy to ease international pressure on it. in this case, american officials said they were uncertain whether iran's supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei had signed off on

the effort. ". the candidates are staying most of out of sight today. president obama and mitt romney are hunkered down for their final face-off. final preparations are also being made at tomorrow's debate site. that's lynn university in boca raton, florida. you see it will. the verbal dual if will focus this time on foreign policy. wednesday mr. obama plans to pull an all-nighter both in key battleground states to launch a whirlwind tour of six states starting in iowa and he will cast his vote early in chicago on thursday. romney, meanwhile, held his final formal fundraising event last night. he has raised more than $361 million in his latest bid for the white house. president obama has secured the endorsement of ohio's largest newspaper. the cleveland plane dealer says that obama has fumbled the economic recovery but also says he has led the nation back from the brink of depression. ohio in particular has benefit

from his bold decision to revive the auto industry. it was gutsy, and it worked. ohioans are making cars in toledo and lordstown. they're back on the job. that's leadership that deserves a chance to finish the job. mitt romney is picking up an endorsement from a paper in another key swing state. that's nevada. the reno gazette journal says, "based on our current fiscal condition, a still weak economy and a congress deeply divided along party lines, our next president will continue to face a daunting challenge, one that must be met for the good of the country. four years later we find ourselves in need of change yet again." now, let's take a look at where the candidates stand in those pivotal swing states. in florida you can see here mitt romney has passed president obama in a cnn-orc poll. 49% of voters say they will vote for romney. 48% of the president. that's 1% difference, and it's well within the margin of error. heading north of ohio noticed,

fox news poll found a similar split in the buckeye state. president obama, you see there, in the lead of 46% of likely voters. mitt romney with 43%. and paul ryan campaigning in that swing state getting a warm reception before speaking at a rally in belmont. the republican candidate is taking on the traditional v.p. role of attack dog. here he is earlier saturday in pennsylvania telling an audience why they should not vote for the president. >> president obama four years ago when he was running for president said if he had no fresh ideas, use stale tactics to scare voters. if you don't have a record to run on, paint your opponent as someone people should run from. make a big election about small things. that's what he said when he ran for president four years ago. that's exactly what he has become now that he is president, and he has no record to run on. >> vice president biden took the campaign to the swing state of florida where he didn't miss a

beat after his speech got an unexpected interruption. >> they decimate education. they -- like that beautiful baby over there. i don't blame them for crying. i don't blame that baby for crying. that baby -- that baby -- that baby knows what's in store for him or her if romney wins. >> but it wasn't all laughs. biden also took romney to task over his investment record and used the president's new line romnesia. all eyes are on boca raton, florida, where president obama and mitt romney will face off tomorrow. romney shined in the first debate. president obama re-emerged in the second. who will it be m third? we'll take a closer look. hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol

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>> how come you don't do nothing about that? all right. thanks. all right. >> well, eugene, obviously we need to do everything we can to become manager-independent. >> oh really? then why have you cut drilling permits on federal land by half? >> that's not true. >> so how much did you cut? >> not true. >> you didn't cut anything? you're not going to cut anything? >> i'm about to cut you. >> i would like to see that. i would like to see that. >> let me at him, dad. >> no. come on, sit down, tag. not now. >> gentlemen -- >> oh, that is good stuff. all reports on saturday night live, but it will be serious business tomorrow evening once again at lynn university in boca raton, florida. that is where president obama and mitt romney will debate each other for the third and last

time. the focus, foreign policy, and the recent attack that killed the u.s. ambassador in libya will likely take center stage. cnn's athena jones takes a look at who might have the edge in their final verbal dual. rimplt the third and final faceoff between president obama and governor romney will focus entirely on foreign policy. from afghanistan and pakistan to israel, iran, and the changing middle east. the candidates will spar over america's role in the world, the new face of terrorism and how to deal with the rise in china. with polls showing the president's advantage over romney on foreign policy has narrowed since the summer, mr. obama tried to highlight one of his biggest foreign policy accomplishments at a life party charity dinner in new york. >> it's a little different because the topic is foreign policy. spoiler alert.

we got bin laden. >> he also used his speech to poke fun at his opponent. >> of course, world affairs are a challenge for every candidate. after some of you guys remember, after my foreign trip in 2008 i was attacked as a celebrity because i was so popular with our allies overseas. i have to say i'm impressed with how well governor romney has avoided that problem. >> reporter: for his part romney could try again to bash the president for his administration's messy response to the attack in libya last month and link it to what he says is a failed approach to the region. >> this called into question the president's whole policy in the middle east. look what's happening in syria, in egypt. now in libya. consider the distance between ourselves and israel. the president said that he was going to put daylight between us and israel. >> reporter: both candidates face a challenge monday night. >> the challenge for president obama is going to be defining

the middle east strategy going forward. i mean, he has had some success. he has had some things that are still pretty murky. >> romney's task could be bigger. >> i think for romney there's a broad challenge, and that is how do you drill down into specific policies? the republican party hasn't really figured out what a republican foreign policy looks like after the bush administration. i think romney has been uneager to really delve into that. >> reporter: still, while important to many voters, foreign policy ranks far below the economy. >> if you are mitt romney, every second you are talking about foreign policy is wasted, which might mean that romney tries to break out of that and tries to bring home some of the foreign policy issues to domestic economic issues. >> with time running out, this is their last chance to make their case to millions of voters in a single night. governor romney is spending this weekend preparing for the debate

down in florida, while president obama is doing his debate prep at camp david. randi. >> athena, thank you very much. can you watch the showdown over foreign policy between president obama and mitt romney tomorrow night right here on cnn. live coverage of the last presidential debate begins 7:00 eastern from boca raton, florida. congressman jesse jackson jr. is speaking out. hospitalized for depression, but still on the ballot. hear what he has to say. [ female announcer ] introducing yoplait greek 100. 100% new. ♪ 100% greek. 100% mmm... ♪ oh wow, that is mmm... ♪ in fact it's so mmm you might not believe it's a hundred calories. well ok then, new yoplait greek 100. it is so good.

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congressman jess gentlemen jackson jr. is speaking out public for the first time since going on medical leave in may. the democrat from chicago's south side has been getting treatment at the mayo clinic for depression. in a recorded message to constituents jackson says he hopes to return to capitol hill, but isn't quite ready yet. >> for the past few months i've undergone medical treatment to address some serious health issues. like many human beings a series of events came together in my life at the same time and they've been difficult to sort through. i am human. i am doing my best, and i am trying to sort through them all. i'm starting to heal. the good news is my health is improving, but my doctors tell me the road to recovery is a long one. i'm anxious to return to work on your behalf, but at this time it's against medical advice. >> jackson, the son of civil rights leader jesse jackson, is running for re-election in his

chicago district. the "chicago tribune" reports that jackson could be headed back to the mayo clinic this week, many of the. now to california where police believe a shooting suspect is now dead after setting fire to his home. desmond john moses is accused of gunning down his next door neighbors. a father who tried to shield his children from the bullets is dead. so is his 4-year-old son. two other children and a man's wife are in critical condition this morning. moses was reportedly being evicted from his home after not paying rent for years. neighbors described him as "really weird." police are still working to identify what they believe are moses' remains. >> we also are still continuing our search of the structure that was damaged in the fire. the individual appeared to have been a hoarder. there's a lot of material in there, and the roof collapsed, so we've had to bring in a backhoe to dig through the rubble to determine whether or not the individual is still in

there, mr. moses is in there. we don't know. >> two more people have died from fungal meningitis infects raising the total number of deaths now to 23. the center for disease control and prevention reported 13 new infections yesterday. more than 280 people have been sickened with fungal meningitis in 16 states. health officials believe they were infected can contaminated steroid injections, which is not contagious, but thousands of people may have been exposed to the disease through those shots. mormonism as a cult. that's no longer the stance of one of the world's most famous religious leaders, but is it a change of heart, or possibly a political stunt? first, a very good morning to washington d.c. you see the capitol there. looks like a lovely, sunny day on tap for folks there. glad you're with us and target your morning with us here on cnn sunday morning. [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus presents the cold truth.

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so i brought it to mike at meineke. we gave her car a free road handling check. i like free. free is good. my money. my choice. my meineke. welcome back to cnn sunday morning. i'm randi kaye. a very busy morning here. here are stories we're watching for you. three-term senator presidential nominee and advocate for hunger issues, just three of the many titles held by george mcgovern, the south dakota congressman who died this morning after entering hospice care earlier this week. he helped shape the way we nominate our presidents today, but maybe best mn for losing in a landslide to richard nixon back in 1972. mcgovern addressed the defeat just three weeks ago in an op ed for the washington post writing in part, "i can say that losing

the presidency was one chapter in a long, complex, and richly happy life in which i learned that you can't always control all the outcomes." george mcgovern was 90. there you new fall-out over libya and the release of documents related to the september 11th attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi that killed the u.s. ambassador. the chair of the house oversi t oversight -- his spokesman is defending the release of the cables, but senator john kerry slammed the release saying, "this is irresponsible and inexcusable and perhaps worst of all, it was entirely avoidable. it is profoundly against america's interests in a difficult region. it's bad enough that it's becoming a political sideshow presumably driven by the calendar of monday's upcoming presidential debate, but even worse is that in their rush to make news, they've exposed libyans who are working side-by-side with america." this hour many texas lance armstrong is expected to speak

in front of participants in the livestrong challenge. today we expect that he will even jump on his bike. it will be his very first public ride since resigning as the chairman of the livestrong charity. the cyclist and cancer survivor faesz charges from the anti-doping agency that he used performance-enhancing drugs. we'll bring you his comments as soon as we get them in here. we're expecting them just a few minutes from now. the tsa has been removing its controversial x-ray body scanners from several major airports. the criticism now has been two-fold. too much radiation and, of course, too little privacy. replacing those scanners in airports like j.f.k. and l.a.x. are new millimeter wave scanners. these apparently rely on lower energy radio waves and display generic cartoon-like images. the tsa says they decided swap out the scanners not because of safety concerns, but to speed up those checkpoints. for this week's faces of

faith, we're looking into a sudden change from one of the nation's most reveered pastors. after evangelical leader billy graham met with mitt romney at his home last week in north carolina. an article on graham's website vanished. that article had listed mormonism as a cult, and as you know, romney is mormon. the chief of staff for the billy graham evangelicalistic association acknowledged the change saying, in part, "we removed the information from the website because we do not wish to participate in a theological debate about something that has become politicized during this campaign." with us this morning is joanna brooks, a mormon, blogger, and rom my supporter. good mning to you. >> good morning, randi. >> do you believe billy graham has really changed his stance on mormon inch, or is he just staying out of the theological debate, staying out of it? >> that's a good question. i'll take reverend graham at his word. i think it's a small but

significant stride that was taken down from reverend graham's website after mitt romney met with him to ask for his support. it's important. >> could it be, though, do you think a possible political stunt to maybe align the church with romney's campaign? >> well, you know, this has been a fascinating year watching a historically difficult relationships between evangelical christians and mormons have been ironed out towards the end of electing mitt romney to be president. earlier this fall a number of conservative christian leaders issued a letter to their followers asking them please vote on matters of policy, not theology, and that's significant too. there is still evangelical christian voters who harbor deep suspicions about mormonism, but most seem to be lining up behind romney anyways. >> let me share with you earlier this week graham took out a full page ad in major newspapers, and it says, in part, this. as i approach my 94th birthday, i realize this election could be my last. i believe it is vitally

important that we cast our ballots for candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles. i urge you to vote for those who protect the sanctity of life and support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman." so is this a not so subtle endorsement for mitt romney? >> i think there is no question that reverend graham has all but endorsed mitt romney. he hasn't use those words, but clearly the full page advertisement telegraphs his support for governor romney. i mean, there are different ways to live one's biblical values, of course. as a mormon, i was raised with the book of mormon scripture that says whoever believes in god can wish for a better world. how we interpret that ranges from republican to democrat. >> and if romney wasn't running for president, do you think graham would have changed his views on mormonism? >> that's a terrific question. i mean, romney has been red sent to talk about his faith in the public eye. it's still a difficult subject for him to bring up and feel a sense of ease and confidence talking about, but i do think

his candidacy and his quiet, steady example of his faith has driven new conversation among evangelicals and mormons. you know, i don't know that evangelical christians will ever recognize us mormons as fellow christians. there are theological difference that is matter, but for this election at least there is a -- >> i want to talk to you about the mormon faith. some people think of polygamy. they certainly think of former leader warren jeffs, the flds, the child brides. do you think that's the cult aspect that reverend graham was referring to? >> well, actually, anti-mormonism and stereotypes about mormonism, including polygamy, which is not practiced by mainstream mormons like me, by the vast majority of mormons in the u.s. -- those ideas about mormonism date back in the 19th century to violence against mormon communities in the midwest and the south and those anti-mormon sentiments actually drove the movement of mormons westward to utah, and they've been around a long time. some of those stereotypes and misconceptions do persist, but i

have seen great changes in media coverage of mormonism in the last year. more people are getting to know mormons as just an important part of the american story. >> well, you're certainly helping us do that as well. what about romney's public embrace of his mormonism? i mean, he spoke a lot about it at the convention. do you think that has changed people's perception at all? >> actually, i think romney has been very, very quiet on mormonism. he did bring it up at the election, but he didn't talk about mormon history or about his own, you know, ancestors and the faith. he had members of his congregation attest to his personal character as a mormon leader, but i think the conversation is changing for the efforts of everyday mormons who are talking to their neighbors, people like me writing books for the mainstream. just trying to tell the story of our faith. we're a young faith. you know, if you don't live west of the rocky mountains, you might not know any mormons, but we are a christian, you know, people who live our faith with great intensity. it gives us a great sense of belonging. >> how much weight do you think reverend graham carries? if he had maintained that

mormonism is a cult and didn't remove that article from his website, could that have hurt mitt romney, do you think? >> well, i think there will be still to the end of this campaign evangelical christians who owing to this century-long of anti-mormon sentiment in the united states will have great reservations about voting for romney, but reverend fwram is a powerful and important figure, and evangelical christians now face a decision point in american history. folks will have to get comfortable with people of different faiths playing faithful roles in leadership. >> joanna brooks, great to have you on the program again this morning. thank you so much. >> thank you, randi. thank you. have you decided yet? with just over two weeks ago until the big election, uncommitted voters can still turn the election upside down. comedian dean obadala has some tips for the candidates on just how to win over these men and women.

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>> yes like when is the election? >> what are the names of the two people running, and be specific. >> who is the president right now? is he or she running? >> that was "snl's" funny and extreme twist on undecided voters. some are uncommitted. they say they can still be swayed. with just 16 days until the election, their vote in toss-up states from colorado to florida may very well decide the next

president of the united states. comedian dean obadala joins me now for his own stay on the uncommitted. dean, good morning. so -- >> good morning. >> i guess i want to ask you, are you still uncommitted, or have you decided? >> no. i have decided. i decided years ago. i make decisions way in advance. >> years ago? >> i don't even need policy. i make decisions. i'm done. it's these other people, they scare me. the 1% of undecided, they hold the fate of the leader of the free world this n their hands. don't ask them to pick a movie. it will be on dvd before you see the movie in the theater. >> come on. >> what are you waiting for? >> i'm not very good with decisions, but you can't put it all on them. they really scare snu. >> i'm not petrified by them. i'm wondering why they've not made a decision. the debates, all the media coverage, all the ads. especially if you live in a swing state. you're inundated with ads. what more will it take? what is going on to put them over the top? on a serious note, maybe they don't like either obama or

romney and we're forcing hem to make a decision between the two. i think part of it is that they might not be following or they're not good at decisions. that that is part of it, and some of them aren't hearing what they want to hear, apparently, according to those that we spoke with. you virtually said if you live in one of these swing states, you would love to pretend that you're undecided or uncommitted. why? >> look, ramdi, i like attention. i'm up early on a sunday morning for attention. i'm a comedian. i think it's the bell of the ball. everyone wants to talk to the undecided. if i lived in ohio, i -- you can't sell your vote, but i would say, hey, candidates, if my house happens to be painted, i know who did it, bingo, you've got my vote. take advantage of it and use it to your own advantage in the swing statutes. >> what about the campaigns? what can they do? we have 16 days left. how should they reach these uncommitted voters to get that vote? >> i think it's not about public policy anymore. we're going to give them the benefit of the doubt. you know the issues.

they know the different candidates. i think our candidates have to go the extra yard. take a page from reality shows. a little mini dancing in the presidential candidate. obama-rom my dance-off. they can talk about policy while they're doing it, and maybe they have one day celebrity apprentice with donald trump. in that case, i'm afraid that trump will fire them both. that's the only down side to that one. >> maybe you could put them on american idol. >> let them sing. they sing a song. i think obama might have the edge. it will be interesting to see how that works out. >> what do you think? what if they can't make up their minds, and they don't vote come election day? what do you make of that? >> i think we taser them. that's my idea. we can't taser them. if you do not video voet on election day and you love reality shows, you're suspended for one year from voting for american idol or dancing with the stars if you don't vote for president. there's going to be a teeny penalty to make you go out there and vote. it's too important. either side. the future of the country. i hate to say this, but it's at

stake, but these guys are a stark contrast between the two, and the have iings of the countries, get out and vote on election day. >> you know, politics is pretty serious. this election is certainly serious, but i appreciate the laughs that you have brought to it, dean. >> thanks. have a great day. >> you too. this is serious money for any political candidate. the super pact created by comedian and comedy central host steven colbert has more than $776,000 in its coughers. the super pact americans for a better tomorrow tomorrow isn't revealing yet what it will do with all that cash. cyclist lance armstrong making a public appearance right now in texas after his controversial fall from grace. we're bringing his comments coming up. first, for all you political junkies watching this morning, before the two major parties took control of the presidential debates in 19 8 which group

sponsored the debates? if you know the answer, you can tweet me@ramdikayecnn. after right after the break. he s still make you take notice. there are a million reasons why. but your erectile dysfunction that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat,

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chase sapphire preferred. there's more to enjoy. before the break i asked you if you knew the answer to this question. before the two major parties took control of the presidential debates in 1988 which group sponsored the debates? the answer? the league of women voters. some of you got it right. check the feed here. the group sponsored the debates in 1976, 1980 and 1984. the very first debate in 1960 was sponsored by the broadcast networks. amid all the talk about president obama and mitt romney's recent debate performerances we at cnn are pretty proud of one of our own. it turns out the folks at "saturday night live" are also

taking notice. >> good evening from hoff central university in hempstead, new york. i'm candy crowley from cnn's "state of the union." [ applause ] >> candy crowley joins me now from washington. good to see you, candy. great job at the debate this week. "snl" obviously thought so as well. both the president and governor romney are in a final prep for debate focused on foreign policy. how do you think the attack on the libyan consulate will shape what we see tomorrow and what we hear tomorrow night? >> it definitely has to be sort of one of the major things that they talk about. it also was likely to be where you see a lot of conflict. obviously, the more this goes on and more people find out about it, the more republicans look at this and say something is really wrong here, and democrats keep pushing back saying this is all political, the republicans have been trying to make political hay out of the deaths of four americans, et cetera.

so it's huge. i must say that in some ways it makes this foreign policy debate -- a lot of people were complaining why are they having a foreign policy debate at the end when this is an election about the economy? it's still an election about the economy, but the fact is that foreign policy just has a way of cropping up when you least expect it, and essential this tragedy is one of those ways. i also expect there will be larger conversations about the role of the u.s. and the fwloebl village and chinese currency and what's going on in syria, et cetera. >> a lot to cover, for sure. this weekend we have seen a slew of newspaper endorsements, as you know. here's just a partial list showing their support for president obama. we have "the cleveland plain-dealer," "salt lake tribune," and -- >> laws review journal, orlando sentinel, and the dallas morning news for romney. candy, several swing states, ohio, colorado, nevada, florida, they're represented in these endorsements, but will they sway the voters?

that's the question. >> i don't think there's any evidence that voters get swayed too much by the editorials in their newspapers. they tend -- i remember my father growing up. the newspaper in st. louis would print an editorial about who to vote for. he would run right out and vote for the other person. i think in the end people kind of vote for the person they want to in their influences and certainly people read it and think, oh, that's a good point, et cetera, but i think by and large endorsements, whether they come from newspapers or whether they come from other elected officials or there fr celebrities sort of tanning he shall to the entire people, i think most people listen to those things, but they're not as influential as we think, but they do give good press, if you will, to the folks being endorsed, so that's, you know -- that is helpful along the way, particularly many the last 16 days. >> also making news in these swing states, this new usa today-gallup poll where women voters say abortion is their

number one issue in this campaign. 39% saying that. i understand you'll be speaking with two female house members today as part of a segment on the women's vote for your show. >> indeed. and i find this fascinating. and because, as you know, folks --he republicans have been saying, look, when we talk to women, they're talking about jobs, but as i pointed out when we were looking at it from this morning, just because abortion is an important issue, doesn't mean that these are necessarily those who favor abortion rights. they might as well be women who don't, so as you know, when you look at the polling on abortion, more people favor abortion in only selected and minimal circumstances or no abortions allowed at all than favor abortions under, you know, sort of broader circumstances, so i don't think it necessarily tells us something completely about how women are going to vote because women don't have a unified view of abortion. >> that was a very good point.

you don't know where they stand even though 39% of them say it's their number one issue. candy, thank you. >> thank you. talk to you later. keep it here for "state of the union." it starts in about seven minutes from now. 9:00 a.m. eastern time this morning. it's the first public ride since his fall from grace. find out what lance armstrong had to say in a livestrong event just moments ago in austin, texas. but how am i going to fund it? and i have to find a way to manage my cash flow better. [ female announcer ] our wells fargo bankers are here to listen, offer guidance and provide you with options tailored to your business. we've loaned more money to small businesses than any other bank for ten years running. so come talk to us to see how we can help. wells fargo. together we'll go far.

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welcome back. lance armstrong spoke at a charity ride in austin, texas, a ride for livestrong, the cancer charity he started. he stepped down over a controversy over alleged doping this week.

that's where we find victor blackwell. what did lance have to say? >> well, he didn't say much, radi about the controversy, but he did give an encouraging message to the riders. we're about 30 minutes into this ride, and don't you know it on live television, there are no cyclists behind me, but they have been coming out in waves. 100 mile is first and then the 65 mile and then the people who are riding just 18 miles today. minutes before the start the founder of livestrong, the now former chairman, lance armstrong, gave a short message just about two or three minutes to the group. this is the first time that many of them have seen him since he stepped down as chairman, and also, since the u.s. anti-doping agency made the announcement that they have overwhelming evidence that he doped during the seven tour de frances that he won. here's a portion of what he said here in austin. >> obviously it's been an interesting -- at times -- people ask me a lot how you do it, and i tell them, i say,

well, i have been better, but i have also been worse, so with that, i'll leave you to have a great ride today. please be safe. thank you for your support. 4,300 riders, the largest ride in austin's history. thank you all so much. live strong, be safe. >> so that's reiterating what he said friday night at a gala for livestrong, a fundraiser, just saying i've been better, but i have also been worse. now, we've learned that today livestrong has raised $1.7 million from this ride. add that to the $2.5 million they're reporting from friday might's gala. a very profitable weekend for for the organization that lance armstrong was once the chairman of. we'll find out tomorrow if the organization that governs cycling will indeed take the recommendation from the usada and strip them of those seven tour de france titles. we'll also have to hear from the olympic board if they're going to strip him of